Gilsonite cutting device



July 23, 1935. c. J. NEAL 2,008,763

GILSONITE CUTTING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l &

July 23., 1935. NEAL, 1 2,008,768

' GILSONITE .CUTTING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "M7; 4%\v Mm Patented July 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

vein of gilsonite, but which may be driven withan electric motor withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

In the mining of gilsonite, it has always been the practice to mine byhand, the miner using picks to break out the gilsonite in reasonablylarge pieces, which form is demanded by the trade.

Due to the size and nature of the veins of gilsonv ite, which are moreor less narrow and vertical, it

has heretofore been impossible to mine the gilsonite with mechanicalmeans, but by my invention the cut or deep groove may be made in thevein. This groove relieves the pressure of the formation and allows theremaining portion of the vein to be easily mined with hand picks,breaking out in coarse blocky lumps.

These objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which similar numerals and letters of referenceindicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in thespecification forming a part of this application and pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings in which I have shown the best and most preferred mannerof building my invention,

- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Figure 2 is a plan view or edge view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a planview of the cutting teethand chain.

' Figure 4 is a side elevation of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of a section of the mine along the veinwith the shaft shown and with a miner shown in the drift using mycutting device.

Figure 6 is a cross section of a vein with the cut shown therein.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of the cutting portion of my device withthe link chain and teeth removed and one side removed to show thesupport structure therefor.

Figure 8 is a section on line H of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of one of the suction ports through theside plate of the cutting device to show the form of the suction portsor holes therethrough.

In the drawings I have shown the device as made of a body A, having anair motor B, therein, said motor being in connection with a'train ofgears l, 2 and 3, by the shaft 4 of the motor. The device is handled bya handle C secured to one side of the body and onto the other side ofthe body I provide a suitable support frame work D of spaced apartmembers 6 and I carrying guides 8 and 9, said guides extending forwardand backward from the body and being slightly curved as shown in Figure1 and adapted to support the machine upon the floor of the mine. Theextreme ends of the guides are turned up to prevent catching upon anyprotrusions on the floor. Supported between the two members 6 and I, Iprovide the chain framework E which consists of side plates I 8 and I9spaced apart by spacer castings l and carrying a sprocket H in the endbetween the members 6 and I, said sprocket being carried on a shaft l2driven by the gear 3 to impart motion to the sprocket from the airmotor. A sprocket I4 is carried in the free end of the frame work E andaround the two sprockets and the frame work I provide a cutting chain F.The chain F is driven by the sprocket wheel I I. The chain F consists oflinks l and I6 overlapping each other and carrying spacer rollers lltherebetween on the link pins Ila of the chain. The rollers engage thetwo sprocket wheels II and M and the outer edge or guide rail Illa; ofthe spacer castings Ill. The

outer or outside links l6 of the chain are made with the onesideextending into cutting teeth 20, the teeth having the point extendedoutwardly and. forwardly and some of these teeth are bent in and othersbent out, while still others are left in alignment so that the chainwhen cutting will cut away a swath or groove wider than any of the otherparts of the device which follow the cutting face of the chain.

Each of the side plates l8 and l9 are provided with ports 2|therethrough with the ports formed with the outside portion 22 thereofhaving the sides parallel and with the inner portion chamfered orcounter-sunk at 23 to allow air to pass therethrough, drawing gilsonitedust therein without clogging the port.

This row of ports is provided through the plates l8 and I9 just insidethe inner edge of the casting Ill and a clean out 25 may be providedthrough one of the plates to enable the operator to clean theentireinterior 'of the device, should it become necessary. To draw the dustinto the chamber H formed within the sides I! and I5 and the casting I0,I provide an evacuator or suction pump G, having a line 26 attached tothe chamber H to draw the dust therefrom and an exhaust line 21 to carrythe dust away, either to a sack 28 as shown in Figure 5, or blown outinto some other suitable container. The exhauster or evacuator G isdriven by a sheave wheel 29 carried on the drive shaft 30 of theevacuator G and said sheave wheel is drivon by a belt 3| which iscarried around and drivon by a sheave wheel 33 carried on the endof theshaft 4 of the air motor.

A control lever 35 controls the motor, said lever being formed in thehandle C of the device.

It will be obvious that an electric motor can be used instead of an airmotor, without changing the construction of the device other than theform of the body A in that portion surrounding the motor, the rest ofthe cutting device may remain the same. Also control handles 36 and 31are provided on the sides of the body to enable the operator to drag orcontrol the device by means other than the handle C, should that becomenecessary during the mining.

The operation of the cutting device is as follows:

The miner starting at the top of a slope turns on the air by the controlvalve lever 35 and starts the motor B which rotates the train of ears I,2 and 3 and rotates the shaft i2 which in turn rotates the sprocketwheel H and drives the cutting chain F. The teeth 20 engage the surfaceof the gilsonite and the weight of the machine and the direction of cutof the teeth pull the machine down into the material being out until thebody rests upon the guides 8 and 9. The operator connects the exhaustpipe or line 21 with a bag or sack 28 and with the pipe 2! over hisshoulder he places his feet against the back side of the handle 26 andslowly advances the machine down the slope cutting the slot or deepgroove along the vein.

The evacuator at the same time will .draw all of the dust made by thecutting teeth into the sack 28 and the operator may change sacks asoften as necessary to facilitate his work.

It is intended that the device may be used to cut overhead in the drift,up or down the end of the drift and along the floor of the drift to makeone cut of the machine release as much material as possible.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patentand claim:

1. In a cutting device for mining gilsonite, the combination of a bodycarrying a driving motor therein; a cutting chain carried in a suitableframe work suspended from one side of said motor; means to drive saidchain; and means to draw dust from the cut into the frame work andexhaust it at the rear of the machine.

2. A gilsonite cutting device comprising an endless chain carryingcutting teeth; a frame work on which said chain is operated; a sprocketto drive said chain; means to drive said sprocket; a dust chamber insaid frame work; ports from the chamber through the side wall of theframe work to draw dust into the dust chamber and means to createsuction within said chamber and draw the dust from the chamber and blowit into suitable containers.

CHARLES J. NEAL.

